If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Northern Lands wine festival

Edmonton’s culinary community could be placed on the map this year, as the city is set to host the largest wine and beer festival in the country.

A local organizing committee announced Sunday the Northern Lands festival would be coming to Edmonton on March 27 and 28 at the Shaw Conference Centre.

Gurvinder Bhatia, one of the many members of the organizing committee, said Edmonton is ideally placed to bring in growers from across the country to one festival.

“It’s such a great place to do an event like this, because of the economy and because of a really growing food and wine culture,” he said.

Bhatia said the response to the event has been astounding with wineries, craft breweries and distillers from across the country joining. He said a number of chefs, both locally and nationally, are also going to be a part of the event.

He said the event will be great exposure for Edmonton, but with everyone who is committed to attend, it will be great for the Canadian industry.

“We have so many high profile people coming to this that it’s absolutely going to raise the profile of the industry nationally and internationally,” he said.

Northern Lands Festival

Proceeds from the event will go to the High School Culinary Challenge and the Edmonton Community Foundation Grateful Palate Fund.

Edmonton will enjoy a white-hot culinary infusion come March, when the new Northern Lands festival launches. A gathering of wine, craft beverage and food experts from across Canada and around the world, the festival takes place at the Shaw Conference Centre March 27 and 28, 2015.

“I could do (the festival) anywhere, this is a national festival, but I really believe that Alberta and Edmonton is the best place for this for a couple of reasons,” says Bhatia.

Not only is the wine and culinary culture “really evolving” in YEG, says Bhatia, “the economy can support a festival of this size and this nature.”

Sixty producers, including 47 Canadian wineries, 11 craft brewers and three craft distillers are represented. Culinary talent from YEG is at the heart of the food component, but big names such as Vikram Vij from Vancouver restaurants Vij’s and Rangoli, and Top Chef Canada winner Dale McKay of Ayden in Saskatoon will be on hand.

Vij is cooking with Gold Medal Plates silver medalist Deependra Singh of Guru on Friday the 27th, and across the city, other restaurants from Wildflower to Canteen will also be hosting special, small and select dinners with specific wine makers and other talent.

“(Vikram Vij) is a culinary rock star, in such demand and now, being on Dragon’s Den. He’s transcended the culinary industry and is an entrepreneur and a philanthropist as well,” says Bhatia.

“You have to dream big. If we want to be a little city, we dream small. If we want to be a big city, we dream big, and this is a big idea.” - Mayor Stephen Mandel, 02/22/2012